Residue Management
Faba beans are commonly grown following cereals and can be successfully grown in conventional, minimum or no-till systems, provided the previous crop residue is standing or well distributed.
Seeding Date
Plant faba beans in late April or early May to maximize yield. Faba beans are tolerant of cool soils and late spring frosts. Cotyledons of faba beans remain below ground, meaning they can regrow if above-ground damage like a killing frost occurs. The minimum temperature for faba bean germination is 3–5°C. Hot temperatures during fowering can reduce seed set. Seeding early allows fowering to begin during cooler temperatures in June.
Target Plant Stand and Seeding Rate
Target a living plant stand of 180,000 plants/ac (45 plants/m2 or 4 plants/ft2) and use narrow row widths. There is wide variation in seed size among varieties and seed lots. Calculate seeding rates (seeds/ac) using thousand seed weight and expected seed survivability. Assess plant stand during early vegetative stages to inform future seeding rate decisions. Some varieties have large seed sizes that require high seeding rates and may cause plugging issues during seeding. To avoid faba bean plugging issues bear in mind the follow points:
1. Reduce planting speed to < 5 mph.
2. Use soil openers with large-diameter seed openings and minimal change in seed flow direction or tube shape.
3. Ensure the recommended metering roller or auger is installed for large seeds and high application rates.
4. Avoid sharp turns so that the inside end of the drill maintains forward speed with the toolbar engaged in the soil.
5. Ensure there are no tight radiuses or sags in distribution hoses.
6. Eliminate flow obstructions, like screws, in the distribution hoses.
7. Consider metering from multiple tanks to reduce the application rate demand on a single metering system of one tank.
Seeding Depth
Seed faba beans between 2–3 inches deep, placing seeds 0.5 inches into moisture. Faba beans can tolerate a deeper seed depth than soybeans since their cotyledons remain below ground.
Rolling
Faba beans are not typically rolled since plants remain upright and pod high above the ground. If rolling, roll before emergence since plant stems are stiffer than other pulses and may be damaged following emergence
Inoculation
Inoculate faba beans with Rhizobium leguminosarum bacteria to facilitate root nodule development and biological N fixation. Faba beans are excellent at fixing N, acquiring around 90% of their nitrogen requirements. Single inoculation (one form or placement of inoculant) is often sufficient to support nodulation. Consider double inoculation if soils have been flooded recently or have no pea or faba history.
Fertility
Select fields with <50 lbs N/ac of residual nitrogen to facilitate nodule development. No additional N fertilizer is required.
Balance phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) removal with inputs throughout the crop rotation, maintaining soil test P levels of 10-20 ppm and K levels >100 ppm.
Faba beans are high P users and are more responsive to P fertilizer than peas or soybeans. Since fabas are seeded into cool soils, access to P early in the season will promote root development and early-season growth. The maximum safe rate of seed-placed P is 40 lbs P2O5/ac with 10-15% seedbed utilization (SBU) under good moisture conditions.
Potassium and sulphur are required for optimum yields on black and grey wooded soils and should be included based on soil test recommendations.